Biology subjects

Marquetand, J.

Publications and source records attributed to Marquetand, J..

9 recordsLinked to original sources

bioRxiv2026

Low-Cost Real-Time Fiber-Optic Distance Sensing for OPM-based Biomagnetic Measurements

Background: Accurate tracking of the distance between magnetic sensors and biological tissue is particularly relevant to biomagnetic measurements in which stable wearable sensor configurations are not feasible, such as optically pumped magnetometer-based magnetomyography (OPM-MMG). In these measurements, movement-induced changes in source-to-sensor geometry can affect the recorded signal nonlinearly and complicate motion artifact control. Because components used near optically pumped magnetometers must be nonmagnetic to minimize magnetic interference, a compact, nonmagnetic method is needed for real-time monitoring of sensor-to-surface distance. Methods: Low-cost, nonmagnetic polymer fiber sensors (Keyence FS-N11MN with FU-6F fibers) were evaluated for real-time distance measurement using a fully automated linear stage over a range of 0-30 mm and at controlled incidence angles from 50 to 90 degrees. The sensors generated analog output voltages from 1 to 5 V, sampled at 2048 Hz, with a response time of 16 ms. Custom scripts were used for signal averaging, noise estimation, uncertainty weighting, calibration, and distance reconstruction. Results: Voltage decreased nonlinearly with increasing distance. For the pooled data obtained at 80 and 90 degrees, weighted Hill1 fits over 0-10 mm and 0-30 mm yielded adjusted R-squared values greater than 0.9990. Across the five sensors, the mean absolute reconstruction error was 0.0282 mm when both calibration and evaluation were restricted to 0-10 mm, and 0.1310 mm when calibration over 0-30 mm was evaluated over 10-30 mm. Periodic modulation was observed beyond 10 mm, remained present when Sensor 1 was operated independently, and was consistent with the discrete internal signal levels of the sensor. Conclusion: Low-cost, nonmagnetic polymer fiber sensing may provide a compact, real-time method for monitoring sensor-to-surface distance over 0-10 mm in optically pumped magnetometer-based biomagnetic measurements. Extension across the full 0-30 mm range will require range-specific calibration and further validation using skin-facing surfaces.

bioengineering↗

bioRxiv2026

Motor Unit Number Estimation in Magnetomyography

ObjectiveInvestigation of the feasibility and characteristics of contactless motor unit number estimation (MUNE) using optically pumped magnetometer-based magnetomyography (OPM-MMG) as compared to surface electromyography (EMG). MethodsSimultaneous electrically evoked OPM-MMG and EMG signals of the abductor digiti minimi muscle (ADM) were measured in three healthy participants. To characterize MUNE across both modalities and account for within-subject physiological variability, 20 repetitions of electrical stimulation of the ulnar nerve at randomized intensities ranging from 5 to 30 mA in 0.1 mA increments were performed, resulting in a total of 5,020 evoked responses per subject. We quantitatively compared of MUNE and evoked EMG/MMG signal characteristics, including signal-to-noise ratio (SNR) and motor unit response amplitudes. SNR was equalized between measurement modalities to estimate the effect of SNR on MUNE. ResultsMMG-derived MUNE (mMUNE) could be assessed contactlessly. mMUNE estimates were on average 40% lower than EMG-derived MUNE (eMUNE), ranging from 30-65 for mMUNE versus 69-101 for eMUNE. Equalizing the EMG SNR (29-31 dB) to match the MMG SNR (18-27 dB) yielded comparable eMUNE and mMUNE estimates. Peak-to-peak amplitudes of the supramaximal compound motor unit fields ranged from 34-73 pT and single motor unit fields ranged from 0.7-1.4 pT. SignificanceThese findings demonstrate that OPM-MMG enables contactless motor unit number estimation.

neuroscience↗

bioRxiv2026

Reliability of Spatiotemporal Neuromuscular Activity Patterns in Magnetomyography Across Force Levels

BackgroundMagnetomyography (MMG) using an optically pumped magnetometer (OPM) provides a contactless and non-invasive approach to assess neuromuscular activity. However, given the limited studies using optically pumped magnetometer magnetomyography (OPM-MMG) and that those primarily used a single OPM, it remains to be characterized how stable individual neuromuscular activity patterns are over time and across different force levels when using multiple OPMs, specifically an array-based MMG. Methods12 healthy subjects performed ramped isometric contractions at 10, 20, 40, 60, and 80% maximal voluntary contraction (MVC), while a 2x3 OPM array recorded MMG signals from the tibialis anterior (TA). For the test-retest reliability, ramps at 20% and 60% MVC were each repeated once. For each subject, Spearmans rank correlation was computed across all OPM sensors between force conditions to assess consistency of feature rankings, and within-subject spatial repeatability between repeated 20% and 60% MVC ramps was quantified using ICC (3,1) (two-way mixed-effects, single-measure, absolute agreement). ResultsIn 9 of 12 subjects, Spearmans rank analyses showed generally high correlations across force levels ({rho} = 0.37 to 0.91, p<0.05), whereas in the remaining 3 subjects, spatial patterns were less stable ({rho} = -0.73 to 0.58, p<0.05). ICC (3,1) between repeated ramps indicated high within-subject spatial repeatability of the array pattern in 9 out of 12 subjects, with ICC > 0.75 at 20% MVC (5 out of 9 subjects) and 60% MVC (6 out of 9 subjects), respectively. In contrast, the remaining 3 subjects showed lower ICCs (20% MVC: -0.28 to 0.51; 60% MVC: 0.22 to 0.80). ConclusionArray-based OPM-MMG shows high within-subject stability of spatial patterns across force levels and strong test-retest repeatability in the majority of subjects (9 out of 12), supporting its use for characterizing force-dependent neuromuscular activity while acknowledging inter-subject variability.

neuroscience↗

bioRxiv2026

Lempel-Ziv complexity of simultaneous surface electromyography and magnetomyography during muscle fatigue

ObjectiveComplexity-based metrics have been applied to surface electromyography (sEMG) to characterize fatigue-related changes in the temporal structure of myoelectric signals beyond amplitude and spectral features. Optically pumped magnetometers (OPM) are sensors that enable non-invasive recordings of magnetomyographic (MMG) signals from skeletal muscle and are increasingly used to complement surface electromyography; however, it remains unclear whether complexity measures derived from magnetic recordings are comparable to those obtained from sEMG. Here, we directly compared fatigue-related dynamics of conventional and complexity-based signal features of sEMG and OPM-MMG measured from the biceps brachii during sustained elbow flexion. ApproachHealthy participants performed isometric contractions at 20% maximal voluntary contraction (MVC; 20 min) or 60% MVC (3 min). sEMG and OPM-based MMG were recorded simultaneously, and signal median frequency, root mean square (RMS), and Lempel-Ziv (LZ) complexity were calculated over time. Main resultsAcross contraction intensities, sEMG and MMG showed consistent fatigue-related changes, characterized by increasing RMS, decreasing median frequency, and a progressive decline in LZ over time. In addition, multiple regression analyses indicated that the decrease in LZ was not fully accounted for by concurrent amplitude or spectral changes, suggesting that complexity captures aspects of signal organization that are not fully explained by established features. Finally, while sEMG showed higher LZ complexity and median frequency at 60% compared to 20% MVC, corresponding intensity-dependent effects were not observed in OPM-based MMG. SignificanceThese findings suggest that complexity-based metrics capture fatigue-related changes in neuromuscular signal organization beyond conventional measures, and that sEMG and OPM-based MMG provide similar, though modality-specific, information. Together, the results support the use of complexity metrics in multimodal electrophysiological and biomagnetic assessments of neuromuscular fatigue.

neuroscience↗

bioRxiv2025

Portable quantum-sensor magnetomyography decodes fine hand movements

Optically pumped magnetometers (OPMs) are compact quantum sensors that can measure the magnetic fields generated by muscle activity (magnetomyography, MMG) without skin contact. This contact-free alternative to surface electromyography (EMG) has remained mostly confined to magnetically shielded rooms and simple tasks, limiting translation. Here, we show that a portable OPM-MMG system operated inside a compact magnetic shield can robustly decode fine finger movements and recover EMG-like muscle activation patterns. Eight participants executed flexion-extension combinations spanning 15 finger actions while we recorded triaxial MMG and bipolar EMG concurrently. MMG supported robust multi-class and finger-specific decoding, recovering a representational geometry that closely matched EMG. Orientation analyses showed that components orthogonal to the muscle axis contributed most significantly to discriminability, providing actionable guidance for OPM array design. Our results show that OPM-MMG in a portable shielded environment preserves task-relevant neuromuscular information and approaches EMG-level structure without skin contact or a magnetically shielded room. Our findings open a path toward hygienic, rapid-setup assessment and human-machine interfacing in clinics and rehabilitation settings.

neuroscience↗

bioRxiv2024

Detecting single motor-unit activity in magnetomyography

Studying the discharge patterns of motor units (MUs) is key to understanding the mechanisms underlying human motor behavior. Intramuscular electromyography (iEMG) allows direct study of MU activity, but is invasive. Surface electromyography (sEMG) offers a non-invasive alternative, but with lower spatial resolution. Recent advances in optically pumped magnetometers (OPMs) have sparked interest in the magnetic counterpart of EMG, magnetomyography (MMG), as an additional non-contact modality to study the neuromuscular system. However, it remains unclear whether MMG signals recorded with superconducting quantum interference devices (SQUIDs) or OPMs can be used to directly detect individual MUs. We addressed this question in a proof-of-principle study in which we recorded MMG signals from the abductor digiti minimi (ADM) muscle using SQUIDs and OPMs. Critically, we simultaneously recorded iEMG from the same muscle to validate the non-invasive measurements. First, we found that invasively recorded MUs can be detected in simultaneously recorded SQUID and OPM MMG signals. Second, we found that invasively validated MUs can be extracted directly from SQUID and OPM MMG. This provides converging evidence that individual MU activity is accessible using non-contact MMG. Our findings highlight the potential of MMG as a non-contact modality to measure and study muscle activity in health and disease.

neuroscience↗

bioRxiv2023

Discrimination of finger movements by magnetomyography with optically pumped magnetometers

Optically pumped magnetometers (OPM) are quantum sensors that offer new possibilities to measure biomagnetic signals. In magnetomyography (MMG), compared to the current standard surface electromyography (EMG), OPM sensors offer the advantage of contactless measurements of muscle activity. However, little is known about the relative performance of OPM-MMG and EMG, e.g. in their ability to detect and classify finger movements. To address this, we recorded simultaneous OPM-MMG and EMG of finger flexor muscles for the discrimination of individual finger movements. Using a deep learning model for movement classification, we found that both sensor modalities were able to discriminate finger movements with above 89% accuracy. Furthermore, model predictions for the two sensor modalities showed high agreement in movement detection (85% agreement; Cohens kappa: 0.45). Our findings show that OPM sensors can be employed for reliable, contactless discrimination of finger movements and incentivize future applications of OPM in magnetomyography.

neuroscience↗

bioRxiv2021

Muscle fatigue revisited - Insights from optically pumped magnetometers

Muscle fatigue is well characterized electromyographically, nevertheless only information about summed potential differences is detectable. In contrast, recently developed quantum sensors optically pumped magnetometers (OPMs) offer the advantage of recording both the electrical current propagation in the muscle as well as its geometry, by measuring the magnetic field generated by the muscular action potentials. Magnetomyographic investigation of muscle fatigue is still lacking and it is an open question whether fatigue is characterized similarly in magnetomyography (MMG) compared to electromyography (EMG). Herein, we investigated the muscle fatigue during a 3x1-min strong isometric contraction of the rectus femoris muscle of 12 healthy subjects using simultaneous EMG-MMG (4-channel surface EMG and 4 OPM along the rectus femoris muscle). Both EMG and MMG showed the characteristic frequency decrease in the signal magnitude during isometric contraction, which is typical for muscle fatigue. In addition, it was shown that the main part of this frequency decrease seems to occur in the circular component of the magnetic field around the muscle fibers and less longitudinally along the muscle fibers. Overall, these results show not only that magnetomyography is capable of reproducing the electromyographic standards in identifying muscular fatigue, but it also adds relevant information about the spatial characterization of the signal. Therefore, OPM-MMG offers new insights for the study of muscular activity and might serve as a new, supplementary neurophysiological method.

physiology↗

bioRxiv2021

Investigation of the temporal and spatial dynamics of muscular action potentials through optically pumped magnetometers.

AimThis study aims to simultaneously record the magnetic and electric components of the propagating muscular action potential. MethodA single-subject study of the monosynaptic stretch reflex of the musculus rectus femoris was performed; the magnetic field generated by the muscular activity was recorded in all three spatial directions by five optically pumped magnetometers. In addition, the electric field was recorded by four invasive fine-wire needle electrodes. The magnetic and electric fields were compared, and modelling and simulations were performed to compare the magnetic field vectors with the underlying muscular anatomy of the rectus femoris muscle. ResultsThe magnetomyography (MMG) signal can reliably be recorded following the stimulation of the monosynaptic stretch reflex. The MMG signal shows several phases of activity inside the muscle, the first of which is the propagating muscular action potential. As predicted by the finite wire model, the magnetic field vectors of the propagating muscular action potential are generated by the current flowing longitudinal to the muscle fiber. Based on the magnetic field vectors, it was possible to reconstruct the pinnation angle in the muscle. The later magnetic components are linked to the activated contractile apparatus. InterpretationMMG allows to analyze the muscle physiology from the propagating muscular action potential to the initiation of the contractile apparatus. At the same time this methods reveal information about muscle fiber direction and extend. With the development of high-resolution magnetic cameras, it will be possible to image the function and structure of any skeletal muscle with high precision. This method could be used in clinical medicine but also in sports and training science. What this paper adds- A robust technique for triggering a muscular action potential that can be recorded by MMG and needle EMG simultaneously - The correlation of the MMG signal with the needle EMG signal - A method for detecting the direction of the propagating muscular action potential - A method for correlating the magnetic field vectors with the pinnation angle of the examined muscle

neuroscience↗